Darkness's Son Interlude: Gold Medals and Inquisitors
by The Hope Lions
Summary: Set between 1 and 2. Luke Skywalker has faced many terrifying things since meeting his father, but a gymnastics meet- that definitely tops the list. Especially when Luke starts to do too well...
If anyone actually knows something about gymnastics I apologize. It's been years since I did it, and Google can only help so much. Also, this story is for WeylandCorp4 who requested it. I hope it meets your expectations.

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Luke felt ready to be sick as the speeder bus pulled up to Coruscant Youth School. He'd been kidnapped and arrested. He'd seen people die and faced down Sith lords. (Malachor, he lived with a Sith lord). And yet the towering brick building before him was certainly the most terrifying thing Luke had ever seen in his life.

The eleven year old boy pulled at his new black sports-jacket, as if trying to pull the white stitching out. Perhaps if it didn't say **Emperor's Academy Gymnastics** Luke would not have to step off the bus. If he wasn't a competitor, he'd be absolutely fine.

"Luke, we're going," Hara, the team captain, told Luke with a smile. Luke didn't particularly like Hara, in fact he found the petite girl frightening. She was smaller than Luke, despite being three years older, and yet she seemed to tower. Perhaps it was because she could do a triple layout while Luke could only do a double, or perhaps it was the way her eyes were just slightly different shades of blue, but Luke could barely look at her without shivering in fear.

Still, in this instance she was attempting to be nice, and so Luke forced a smile back and followed her off the bus. The team shuffled through the foreign school towards the gymnasium, and Luke tried not to see the competition. Of course they were all under fourteen, but Luke was among the youngest, and definitely the smallest. In gymnastics that could give him an advantage, but some of the older kids had muscles. Luke was lucky if he could even be considered to have flesh on his bones.

"Come on, gather around," Couch Dug called out, and the half-dozen intermediate-aged students crowded around him. He eyes them all, one by one, before finally settling his eyes on Luke. "Don't be nervous. Whatever happens today does not determine your futures, alright? It's just a single meet of dozens. The only people in the crowd are parents and none of the judges want to deduct points unless you make them. It's not a big deal. So just go out there, do your routines, do the best you can, and stay safe. A bad meet you can get past tomorrow, an injury you can't, alright?"

Everyone nodded, and went about warming up. Luke was about to sneak off to begin his stretches, (or maybe puke), when Dug caught the boy's shoulder. "You nervous?" Luke could barely manage a nod in response to the coach's question. "Good, you'd be an idiot if you weren't. Just remember that your scores this year don't count towards the overall team score, so just do your best. And please, don't get hurt. Your father would kill me."

If it was anyone else perhaps Dug would have been kidding, but he was not. Luke's father, Lord Darth Vader, would probably kill the coach if anything happened to his son. That was why Dug had slowed down Luke's progress whenever possible, only teaching the boy the basics. Luke had talent, for reasons Dug could only begin to fathom, but Dug was scared to tap into that ever since finding out about Luke's father.

And Luke knew this. He was perfectly aware of the touch-and-go relationship everyone save Rickon had with him since the revelation of his paternity. No one wanted to risk Vader's ire, and for good reason, but it stunk for Luke. He just wanted to be treated like everyone else, and he never would be.

Still, there was nothing Luke could do about it, and so he just covered up the hurt. As soon as Dug let Luke go the boy did his stretches and prepared for the meet the best he could. He was terrified, and the sight of Nila supporting him from the bleachers did nothing to ease his fear.

"Your father is on Jelucan, right?"

Luke turned to see who was speaking, and found it to be Mira, the only other 5th year on the team. She was probably the person on the team Luke liked the most, simply because she acknowledged his existence outside of just being "Vader's son." Still, Luke was surprised she'd come and talk to him instead of her friends because, quite frankly, no one did that.

"I noticed you looking at the bleachers," Mira began to explain, shrugging so her little blonde pony tail fell off her shoulders. "My father is on Jelucan too, that's why I know. He's an IS commander."

Luke, even after a couple weeks among the rich and powerful of Emperor's Academy, still didn't get why everyone felt they had to state their parent's positions whenever speaking. Still, he'd gotten used to it enough not to be annoyed, and just nodded. "Yeah. I wasn't supposed to know where he was going but he told me anyways."

"My father does the same," Mira agreed, before realizing that that probably wasn't a smart thing to say to Vader's son. Luke could sense the moment when she decided this conversation was better left unfinished, and saved her the embarrassment of walking away by moving towards the rotation sheet himself.

Before the meet began, everyone stood to sing the Imperial Anthem. Luke had yet to memorize the words, something which his father would not approve of, but he mouthed along without attracting attention. Finally, the formalities were done and the rotation began.

Luke's first event was the vault, and he waited awkwardly on the sidelines. The other competitors chatted with friends from former matches, but Luke just suck to the floor and tried to remember his father's teachings on meditation. They'd been working on it incessantly, and Luke could almost calm his mind for a full minute. He managed to do so just as it was announced that he was on deck. The boy jumped to his feet, much calmer. The Force flowed through him, around him, and Luke hadn't a worry in the world.

The boy before Luke attempted a layout, a move which could earn up to a 10, but only ended up scoring a 7.3. Suddenly Luke was nervous again. His handspring's highest possible score was an 8.3, and if the judges were being that difficult…

"You've got this Luke!" the boy heard Nila call from the crowd, and his courage returned. Once the judge signaled for him to begin the vault, Luke took off running. He needed to time the jump just right, and imagined it was like piloting in his games, waiting until the last moment to duck out of the line of fire before getting blown up. Luke was very good at those games, and so he trusted himself, trusted the Force to tell him when to jump.

Everyone seemed convinced Luke was just going to forget to jump and hit the vault face-first, but at the last second he hit the springiest part of the board and flipped, pushing himself up with a grace beyond his years. Halfway down, Luke suddenly realized he had far too much energy and height, having propelled himself far beyond the realms of an ordinary handspring. Without thinking, Luke tucked and rolled, landing the move and expelling all the excess energy out of him through the Force.

Luke was incredibly dizzy, but the crowd roared. He wasn't quite sure what he'd done, but he knew he had to ask his father, not Couch Dug, about it. It was a Force thing, not a gymnastics thing; of that Luke was sure.

 **9.7** \- Luke had barely even gathered himself before the judges propelled the score up on the board, sending Luke's name leaping into first place. Suddenly all the other competitors, who'd before been vaguely disinterested, oozed with jealousy. It didn't bother Luke though. How could it? He'd just done something incredible! He was winning!

Beaming, Luke went over to watch the girls compete. Mira's bar score was respectable, and Hara's beam great, but the team score sunk. Nesso, a 7th year, had somehow managed to get a zero on bars, and from the way she sat ostracized from the other teammates they weren't letting it go.

Luke, in his infinite compassion, was going to comfort her when he realized that it would only upset her more. Everyone in the gymnasium hated him at the moment for being so good, but especially those more experienced gymnasts who'd just had a bad day.

If Luke was a different kind of kid, that would have bothered him, but the boy simply shrugged it off and went to wait by the parallel bars, his second event. When his turn finally came, Luke accepted the required boost up, before beginning his routine just as Dug planned it. It was kind of boring, but Luke didn't know anything else like he did with the vault, so he just kept it simple.

At the end Luke was supposed to spin three times and dismount, but again he found himself using the Force to get too-much air, and added an extra spin in the air. It was like flying, but without a ship. The boy simply couldn't get enough of it, not even as his score again was uncharacteristically high for the perfect landing, and the emotions of his peers grew darker.

Luke had a long wait before the third event, floor, and Couch Dug finally caught up with him. "Luke, you're doing great, don't get me wrong, but I really think you need to try to stick with the routine on this next one. You always struggle with your landings as it is, so nothing fancy, okay?"

"Okay, but I'm really not trying. I just have too much energy left coming down."

Dug nodded, ruffling Luke's hair, "I know, and that's what I'm afraid of. Energy like that breaks ankles. So keep it low, and keep it simple, okay?"

Luke nodded, whole heartedly meaning to. But then it was his turn, and yet again he found himself lost in the feel of flying. Skywalker- Luke really was beginning to understand the name. He knew it was the Force that made the flips so easy, but he couldn't control it. Luke just floated on a cloud, and scored first again.

"This is ridiculous!" Luke heard a coach scream into the judges' faces. "I recognized the name same as you, and you're giving him preferential treatment. No first time 5th year should be getting these scores."

The judges looked at each other, and Luke giggled a bit. Apparently they didn't follow the HoloNet as closely as the coach in question did… or maybe they just forgot names quickly.

"Coach Santos I'm sorry, but whoever Luke's parents are we don't know. He's earning these scores, you've seen him yourself. He's small and he flies, that's just a fact."

Luke couldn't help his little grin, not as Nila came down from the bleachers and gave Luke a tight hug along with his lunch. "Oh Luke, I'm so proud of you! You're fantastic!"

Luke hugged her back, wishing she was his mother, or at least that his father was there. Not that his father would have let Luke hug him… "Thank you for coming."

"Oh it's fun," Nila assured Luke, wiping the stray hairs from in front of his eyes. "Really I never imagined people being able to do the things you guys are doing out there. It's incredible, and I've seen some pretty incredible things working for your father." Luke didn't doubt it. He'd seen some pretty incredible things living with his father and it had only been a couple of months.

The pair ate in silence for a while, barely able to think amid the loud noises coming from across the gymnasium. But Luke was able to think a bit, and his thoughts turned dark. Finally, he let out the words he'd been dying to ask. "Nila, is it cheating for me to be using the Force?"

Nila looked around, as she often had to, to make sure no one was listening. The people closest to them was a mother-daughter duo, and they were too busy fighting about the young girl's turn-out to notice Luke's question. "Luke, some people are naturally flexible. Some people are naturally strong. You naturally have a connection to the Force. Just as other people use their flexibility or strength to be good at gymnastics you use the Force, I don't think that's unfair."

When she put it like that Luke's heart felt light, but he still worried. The Coach thought he was getting preferential treatment and was upset. How angry would everyone be if they knew just why Luke could fly so well?

The boy was dwelling on it when he felt a sudden chill in his spine. He looked around desperately, expecting to find his father strolling through the doors, but the Sith was nowhere in sight. Neither was the Emperor, the only other person Luke knew who had such a presence in the Dark Side to make Luke feel like this.

"Luke, are you okay?"

He knew something was wrong, but Luke forced a smile. If he told Nila of his bad feelings she'd whisk him away, and Luke wanted to finish the competition. It was the last meet of the year, and his only chance to have a practice run before his scores counted the next year. Plus, Luke was having fun. He didn't want to leave.

Luke was well aware of the fact that he was making the same dumb decision that led to him getting kidnapped by Obi-Wan, but he didn't care. He was going to stay and compete. He'd be fine. Whatever the bad feeling was… Luke didn't need to worry about it.

He didn't really have time to worry about it either, because right after lunch ended he was up on the high bar. The boy chalked his hands nervously until Couch Dug gave him the boast up, whispering to Luke, "Go ahead, fly. There's not much more you can do now that you haven't done already."

It was the encouragement Luke needed, and so when he began his routine he allowed the Force to push and pull him. He did twists, and turns, and handstands, ducking through his legs and causing the crowd to roar in cheers. Luke was attempting to readjust his hands, bashing in the cheers, when his hand slipped. Quickly he regained his grip, but the momentum was gone and he was going to have to just drop and forfeited his dismount points.

Luke knew he had to just drop, but he also was a boy, and a boy who wanted to prove himself. Calling on the past couple months of Jedi training, Luke propelled himself again over the bar, flipping off it and sticking the landing.

It was unlike anything anyone had ever seen before from someone so young, and in there lay the problem. Luke basked in the praise feeling worthy for the first time of his familial legacy, when he heard the hiss of a lightsaber. Not even the Force's warming was enough to keep the boy from getting grabbed as he crept towards the stands.

He couldn't see his captor, but Luke wasn't really looking. No, no his eyes were trained on the red lightsaber trained on his throat and his mind panicked. "I'm going to ask you nicely one, Padawan, walk, and no one needs to know."

Luke didn't know what was going on, but he'd seen what a lightsaber could do. Suddenly he was no longer the great gymnast who used the Force to win medals, no, he was just a scared eleven-year-old boy at the mercy of a… a…

"Who are you?"

"I'm called Second Sister," his captor replied, pulling Luke from the crowds. Most everyone was too busy watching the other competitors to notice, but a few people's eyes were wide with terror. "Official Empire business, nothing to be concerned about," Luke's captor told them, and much to their discredit, they turned away.

It wasn't until Luke had been dragged from the school and tossed into a speeder that he finally got a look at his captor. She wasn't human, not completely at least. Her face was oddly circular, and far too white. She had no hair, but a black helmet instead, which framed her face in an incredibly intimidating way.

"I don't know who you are but you're making a mistake," Luke managed to say, his voice quaking for fear. He didn't want to be afraid. He knew he shouldn't be afraid, but Luke couldn't help it. She was armed, he was not. She was a foot taller than him, and Luke was just a kid. Sure, a Jedi-in-training and son of a Sith Lord, but still a kid. "My father will kill you for this." She rolled her black eyes, ignoring Luke as she climbed into the speeder and spurred them into Coruscant traffic. "Please! Just let me go! I haven't done anything wrong."

She turned away from the speeder-lanes, which wasn't exactly safe, but it was the cold look in her eyes that really scared Luke. "Oh, I'm sure. You probably have no idea how you were doing those things, but I do. There's a reason we have agents in the gymnastics council; all Force sensitive kids try it at some point."

Luke had been so worried about using the Force being unfair that he'd never considered it could be dangerous. "Is that what this is about? My dad signed me up for gymnastics as part of my training!"

"So you admit your 'father' is training you as a Jedi!"

He didn't realize it at the moment, but Luke wasn't all that scared anymore. Actually, he was sort of just annoyed. "No! Well yes but… My father is Lord Vader!"

"Yeah, and so is mine," Second Sister laughed, jerking their speeder down a traffic lane the wrong way. "Look kid, you've been smart enough to corporate, and that makes things easier. I don't have to kill you so long as you keep cooperating. You're young and powerful; there's a good chance the Emperor will agree to let you join the ranks of the Inquisitors so long as you turn to the Dark Side."

Luke felt sick, and not because of her bad driving (or the whole kidnapping thing.) No, it was the prospect of facing the Emperor again which he dreaded so. The Sith Master haunted Luke's nightmares, and Luke hated him. Luke really, really hated Palpatine for how he treated his father.

But at the same time… "You're going to feel really stupid when we get there and the Emperor laughs at you," Luke muttered, squirming in his seat to try and get past his fear. At least he no longer seemed to be in danger of death, just the horrors of the Emperor's palace. "He's the one who told my father not to train me in the Dark Side."

Second Sister laughed, "Sure kid, sure."

Even before the Imperial Palace came into sight, Luke knew they were approaching. He could feel the desperation, the pain, the darkness radiating from the Emperor's foothold. Everything wrong with the galaxy was held within that one building, and it made Luke sick… literally.

"Gross," Second Sister muttered staring at the pile of vomit Luke left on the landing pad. "Better now than before the Emperor though. Now walk kid, and don't think about trying to escape. My saber has two ends."

Despite everything, Luke's mind actually took a second to consider a dual bladed saber cool. Then he was shuffled into the Palace, felt the Dark Side radiating from both his captor and the Emperor, and suddenly wasn't so amused.

Second Sister led Luke down a series of passages, and Luke sensed the Force flooding him. Actually, it appeared that the passages were being opened by the Force. It wasn't a bad idea, to fortify the secret passages of a Sith's palace with corridors only he could open. Or, well Luke thought only he Emperor and his father could open these passages. Apparently there were other Dark Side users outside the Sith… Inquisitors she'd called them.

Luke had been kidnapped twice before, though he only remembered the second time. Still, he was pretty sure that getting kidnapped shouldn't be so… boring? It wasn't really boring, as Luke's nerves ate at him, but at the same time he was a bit bored. Second Sister and him waited inside the secret-Force corridor for what appeared to be hours before the door was opened and Second Sister pushed him into the throne room.

Luke, despite his better judgment, found it beautiful. Red guards lined the doorways, only their eyes peaking out. The throne sat high above the room, emphasizing the man who sat on its power. But it was all a farce. None of the Emperor's real power, the power of the Force, was being displayed. That was why the Force-users waited until the rest of Court was gone to come in. Few people really grasped that Palpatine could do everything Vader did…and more.

Sidious sat in his throne, vaguely annoyed until he realized just who this 'powerful Force-Sensitive boy' his Inquisitor spoke of was. Once he recognized the blonde hair, and ever so blue eyes ( _why couldn't they just be yellow already_ ) Palpatine went from being vaguely annoyed to vastly amused.

"Ah, so this is where you've found yourself young Skywalker. I should call your father, he arrived back on Coruscant early to find your nanny in hysterics. Apparently you had disappeared."

If the Inquisitor was surprised by the… amiable greeting of the Emperor, she didn't show it, instead she pushed Luke further into the room. "My master this is the boy I called about. As you can see he has great potential to be trained as an Inquisitor."

"An Inquisitor? My dear I'm sorry that you've done your work so miserably. This boy before you is never going to be an Inquisitor, he's far too powerful to be wasted chasing around pitiful Force-Sensitives abusing their power at gymnastics meets. No, the boy before you will be a true Sith."

Now Second Sister showed fear. She, like all of the Inquisitors, knew her place, and knew it was far below the Sith. She also knew that Sidious would only consider his boy a potential apprentice if he'd been telling the truth and was really Lord Vader's son.

"Your majesty," Second Sister's voice didn't quiver, but it was ready to. She could already see her fate, and it would not be pleasant. "I apologize for wasting your time. I did not know."

Palpatine nodded, a smile bright on his face. "Oh, you couldn't have. My apprentice insists on keeping the boy hidden, out of sight, as if that will cause fewer problems for him. You do not need to apologize to me."

Any color that the Inquisitor could muster up returned to her face as she bowed deeply, backing towards the corridor. "You are most generous my Master. I shall just leave you then…"

"Of course, you do need to apologize to the boy's father."

The whole room ran cold, and Luke thought he was going to be sick again. The Darkness was just oozing off of the Sith Master, in waves far greater than Luke had ever encountered in his father. At least Vader had a shred of humanity in his son; Palpatine was no sort of man.

"Come here Luke," the Emperor called, patting the stair besides him. The boy didn't move at first, and the lightness in the Sith's voice dissipated quickly. "I said come!"

Luke scurried over besides the Emperor, sitting at his right. The throne and the Emperor loomed over him, but Luke was glad to be as far away from Palpatine as possible. He was already too close.

"Sit here and wait for your father to arrive. Perhaps your father will give you a lesson in what happens to those who perform their jobs too well."

When Lord Darth Vader arrived, the room, already so filled with the Dark Side, grew darker. Luke felt fury radiating from his father, piercing everything around them. And within the fury… fear. Vader was terrified of something horrible happening to Luke. Terrified to see Luke sitting next to the Emperor, looking small and pitiful next to the Sith Master. Terrified of all he had to lose now that he had a son.

"Ah, my apprentice. I've found your missing son. It seems his athletic prowess drew the attention of your Inquisitors."

Vader had been so focused on his son and master that he didn't even realize the woman cowering in the corner. Suddenly Vader's anger found a foothold. He could not blame Luke for getting kidnapped. He could not blame his master, not when he was too weak to fight him. But this pitiful Inquisitor, she Vader could blame.

Darth Vader cast out his hand, pulling the pathetic woman into him. She struggled, but he was teaming with the power of the Dark Side, empowered by the fear of losing Luke. He hadn't had so much rage since Padme was in danger of death, and the Emperor reveled in the sight.

Luke screamed. Forgetting himself and his place, he stood, running to pull at his father's cloak. "She was just doing her job! Don't hurt her!"

The Dark Side is funny. Vader wanted to hurt those who would hurt his son, and yet, so consumed was he with power, that he took no care when pushing Luke away. It was only the providence of the Force that the boy stopped before cracking his head on the throne room wall.

"Father, please!" Luke didn't give up, calling out to the good in his father. Even if the room was so surrounded by darkness Luke knew the goodness of his father was still in there, somewhere. "Please, spare her."

For a split second, Vader's grip loosened. She had, after all, just been doing her job and Luke was unharmed. Would it be so terrible to let her live, so not to scar Luke any more…

Darth Sidious felt the shift in his apprentice, and knew he had to gain control. The boy was still young, far too young to be a worthy apprentice, and he needed an apprentice. Vader could not be allowed to slip so easily, at barely a prompting from his son.

"Kill her," Sidious growled, evoking memories of Dooku within both master and apprentice. "Show all who would dare to touch your son what punishment they will face."

When Vader's hand tightened around her neck Luke couldn't hear the crack, but he could feel it. He could feel the terrifying darkness coming from not only Palpatine, but from his own father. And it terrified Luke.

Yet, as quickly as it came, it dissipated. Vader tossed the body across the room, and strode towards the corner where his son cowered. Looking at Luke brought back that sliver of light the boy held on to, and so he grabbed his father's hand, accepting the help up while trying to not look at the dead Inquisitor. Luke knew his father killed people. He'd always known that. Still, seeing it like this… it was an awakening.

"If you will excuse me, my master, I must return my son home," Vader snapped, steering the boy out of the throne room without waiting for a response.

Palpatine gave one anyways, through his disgusting smile, "Oh my old friend, it's no trouble. It was a pleasure to meet you again, young Skywalker. Today was certainly… enlightening."

Vader probed Luke for answers on the speeder ride back to their apartment, but the boy said nothing. He was too busy watching his father kill that woman again and again. Yes, she'd threatened Luke, but did she have to die? Did anyone ever have to die?

 _You would kill the Emperor, is that any different?_

Luke didn't think so, and that was what scared him so much. It was that thought more than anything that drove the boy into his room as soon as they arrived at the apartment.

When Vader went in to check on Luke, the lights were off and the boy was in bed. He considered for a second the possibility that his son was asleep, and then noticed that R2 was still in full power mode, appearing as if he'd just been doing something, so, Vader flicked on the lights.

Just as he'd suspected Luke was wide awake, simply trying to appear asleep to avoid conversation. Vader made no comment of it, simply moved to sit on the bed's edge. Luke was still so small, that his feet didn't even reach the edge, but left plenty of space for his father. It was just another reminder of how young Luke really was, too young to be seeing those things he had.

And yet Anakin had been far younger the first time he saw someone blown to bits for attempting to run from his master. He had already fought in a battle before he was Luke's age. Vader was caught between letting his son face the reality that would keep him safe, and letting Luke live in a dream world where he would feel safe.

"They called off the meet after they realized you'd disappeared," he finally began before pulling the package that had just been delivered via- carrier droid. "But you had the most points in the events which were completed so…"

Luke took the package from his father, and carefully unwrapped it. Inside was a small gold-plated medal, and it made Luke smile. "Thank you."

"I did nothing, you earned it. I wish I could have been there to see. You must have exhibited spectacular control over the Force to bring you to the attention of an Inquisitor."

Luke's smile disappeared, even under his father's praise, but Vader knew he had to push it. This… death… it was something Luke needed to face sooner rather than later.

"The Emperor was wrong to push me to do that while you were there. I'm sorry if I frightened you."

He had, he'd terrified Luke really. It reminded the boy of the video Obi-Wan had shown him months back, the video of his father slaughtering defenseless younglings. "I just… I don't understand why she had to die. Why any of them had to die. I always thought death was bad."

They say only Sith deal in absolutes, but in a very real sense children do as well. "Your death, would be bad. My death, would be bad. But the death of an enemy is a necessary evil. During the Clone Wars I mourned the loss of every man under me, even though they were just replaceable clones. Yet, I cut down Separatist leaders without regret. The distinction is one you will learn with time, but for now you must trust that what I do is for the good of this galaxy. For your good."

Luke knew his father believed it wholeheartedly, and so, while it didn't really make sense, the boy nodded. Surely it was something he'd understand when he got older, like these mysterious logarithms he'd heard an upperclassman talk about. "I believe you father and… thank you, for trying to help."

"You are my son, it is my duty to help you," Vader told the boy, standing to turn off R2 and tuck Luke in as he'd always heard of parents doing. The sheets were messy, and Luke was probably very uncomfortable, but the boy beamed at his father's efforts.

"Goodnight father."

"Goodnight my medal son."


End file.
